Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Pakistan
Pakistan: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 1.16 per 1,000 people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Pakistan, 1960–2021
Source: World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 1.16 per 1,000 people for medical doctors per 1,000 people in 2021. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 10.6% on the previous year and up 55.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Pakistan peaked at 1.16 per 1,000 people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.185 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places Pakistan 113th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.185 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1970 | 0.232 per 1,000 people | +25.4% |
| 1975 | 0.233 per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 0.285 per 1,000 people | +22.3% |
| 1981 | 0.344 per 1,000 people | +20.7% |
| 1982 | 0.342 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 0.351 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 0.462 per 1,000 people | +31.6% |
| 1991 | 0.48 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 0.486 per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 0.496 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 0.506 per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 0.518 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 0.536 per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 0.551 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 0.564 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 0.579 per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 0.593 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 0.604 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 0.679 per 1,000 people | +12.4% |
| 2005 | 0.72 per 1,000 people | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 0.693 per 1,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 0.707 per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 0.718 per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 0.727 per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 0.748 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 0.775 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 0.795 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 0.818 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 0.85 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 0.89 per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 0.932 per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 0.917 per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 1.05 per 1,000 people | +14.4% |
| 2021 | 1.16 per 1,000 people | +10.6% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 1.16 per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3555 per 1,000 people, 3.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 1.16 per 1,000 people is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.74 per 1,000 people, 67% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Pakistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +31.6% | 0.351 per 1,000 people | 0.462 per 1,000 people |
| 1970 | +25.4% | 0.185 per 1,000 people | 0.232 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.185 per 1,000 people | 0.185 per 1,000 people | 0.185 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1970s | 0.2325 per 1,000 people | 0.232 per 1,000 people | 0.233 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.3305 per 1,000 people | 0.285 per 1,000 people | 0.351 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1990s | 0.5178 per 1,000 people | 0.462 per 1,000 people | 0.579 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6734 per 1,000 people | 0.593 per 1,000 people | 0.72 per 1,000 people | 7 |
| 2010s | 0.8501 per 1,000 people | 0.727 per 1,000 people | 1.05 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.16 per 1,000 people | 1.16 per 1,000 people | 1.16 per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More health data for Pakistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.14 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8219 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 944.5 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 55,286 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 335 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5028 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0616 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.4109 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is medical doctors per 1,000 people in Pakistan?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Pakistan was 1.16 per 1,000 people in 2021, according to World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.16 per 1,000 people in 2021.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.185 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Pakistan rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Pakistan ranks 113th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Medical doctors per 1,000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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